Spring operated jumping shoe



Aug. 23, 1955 P. L. PACE SPRING OPERATED JUMPING SHOE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 16, 1954 m m m 8 Cm mmmv L m y c mm 5 W 2 m F Aug. 23, 1955 P. L. PACE 2,715,785

SPRING OPERATED JUMPING SHOE Filed Dec. 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mu lung" I A- Percy L. Pace IN VEN TOR.

arm Wavy BM United States Patent Office Patented Aug. 23, 1955 SPRING OPERATED JUMPING SHOE Percy L. Pace, Johnstonville, Calif.

Application December 16, 1954, Serial No. 475,692

Claims. (Cl. 36-7.8)

movement which caused the spring to move unevenly 1 thereby causing accidents and possible injury due to twisted ankles or the like. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a jumping shoe that substantially controls or eliminates lateral twisting or tilting and yet permits the normal flexibility necessary in the etficient operation of a shoe.

A further object of the present invention is to provide the jumping shoe operated by a spiral coil compression spring that employs resilient snubbers which cushions the upward movement of the upper plate of the jumping shoe.

Yet another important feature of the present invention is to provide a jumping shoe including a pair of side plates on the bottom or base plate and a plurality of guide rollers on the upper or supporting plates engaging the edges of the side plates thereby guiding the supporting plate during the movement thereof.

Other important objects of the present invention will reside in its simplicity of construction, ease of operation, ease of attachment, efficiency, simulation of the natural walking step, the location of the fulcrum bar behind the forward end of the upper supporting plate, its adaptability for its purposes and relatively inexpensive manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages substantially upon a plane passing along section line 3--3 of Figure 2 showing various structural details thereof;

Figure 4 is a bottom, Sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 4-4 of Figure 1 showing the details of construction of the under portion of the supporting plate; and

Figure 5 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 55 of Figure 2 showing the details of construction of the guide roller mounting means and the resilient snubbers.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, it will be seen that the numeral generally designates the jumping shoe of the present invention for attachment to a conventional shoe designated by the numeral 12 and including a shoe sole 14 and a heel 16.

The jumping shoe 10 generally includes a lower or base plate 18 and an upper and supporting plate 20 positioned in spaced parallel relation to each other and movable toward and away from each other. The supporting plate 20 is provided with a vertically upstanding flange 22 around the rear edge thereof which generally conforms to the contour of the shoe heel 16 and is provided with slots or openings 24 in the upper and inner corners thereof for receiving a securing strap 26 that is positioned over the shoe 12 for retaining the jumping shoe 10 on the conventional shoe 12.

Secured to and depending from the forward portion of th supporting plate 20 in spaced relation to the forward end thereof is a lug 28 journalling an elongated threaded member 30 therein wherein the threaded member 30 is provided with oppositely disposed threads on opposite ends thereof and is rotatably supported at its center portion in the lug 28. The threaded member 30 is provided with a polygonal end 32 for receiving the polygonal socket of a tool (not shown) for rotating the threaded member 30. Threadedly engaged and mounted on the threaded member 30 is a pair of clamp members 34 and 36 having upturned end portions 38 that are inturned on the upper end thereof as indicated by the numeral 4%) for engagement over the edge of the shoe sole 14 thereby securing the forward end of the supporting plate 20 to the shoe 12 by manipulating the threaded member 30 thereby either moving the upturned portion 38 toward or away from each other for clamping the shoe 14 therebetween. It will be seen that the c0mbination of the strap 26 together with the upturned members 38 and inturned edges 40 on the upper end thereof form a rigid and readily detachable means for securing the jumping shoe 10 to a conventional shoe 12. The particular clamping means on the forward end of the sup porting plate 20 may include slots 42 for receiving fastening members thereby retaining the members 34 and 36 in transversely aligned position.

The base plate 18 is provided on the undersurface thereof with surface engaging resilient material 44 having a plurality of recesses 46 therein which form a surface engaging portion and also form a wearing member for the jumping shoe 10. Rigidly secured to opposite side edges of the base plate 18 is a pair of side plates 48 and 50 which are rigid with the base plate 18 and extend vertically therefrom and are disposed from the front edge of the base plate 18 to a point substantially at the midpoint thereof. The side plates 48 and 50 are laterally spaced a suflicient distance to receive the supporting plate 20 therebetween. A spiral type coil compression spring 52 is disposed between the base plate 18 and the supporting plate 20 and is orientated between the side plates 48 and 50 for urging the supporting plate 20 and the base plate 18 away from each other. The spiral coil spring 52 is provided with the largest coil against the base plate 18 and the smallest coil against the supporting plate 20. The ends of the coil spring 52 may be secured thereto by any suitable means (not shown).

In order to limit the upward movement of the supporting plate 20, each of the side plates 48 and 50 is provided with an inwardly extending lug 54 detachably secured thereto by fastening bolts 56 extending through the side plates 48 and 50. Secured to and projecting from each side of the lug 54 is a depending and outwardly bowed resilient spring 58 which acts as a snubber for engaging the upper surface of the supporting plate 20 and thereby cushioning the effect of the spring 52. In order to limit the upward flexing movement of the spring 58 a "pair of stop pins 60 are provided in normally spaced rela- 7 tion to the outer end of the spring 58 wherein the upper surface of the bowed spring'53 will engage the pins 6%) and limit the upward movement of the supporting plate 20. Before the bowed spring 58 engages the stop pin '60, the spring 58 will cushion the movement of the supporting plate 20 caused by the compression spring 52.

'In order to guide the vertical movement of the supporting plate 20, a pair of guide rollers 62 is provided on I each edge of the supporting plate 20 and each roller 62 is provided with a peripheral groove 64 for receiving the side edges of the side plates 48 and 50. Transversely aligned rollers 62 are mounted on remote ends of a transverse shaft 56 mounted in bearing lugs 68 that are formed on the undersurface of the supporting plate 20 thereby supporting the guide rollers 62 in engagement with the'side edges of the vertically disposed side plates 48 and 50. This arrangement of the guide roller62 permits vertical movement of the supporting plate 20 in relation to the base plate 18 and since the rollers 62 are so arranged that some movement of the supporting plate 20 other than verticalmovement is permittedwherein the plate 20 may rock about a transverse axis and slightly 7 about a longitudinal axis in order to simulate the natural action of a shoe. 7

It will be noted that the front of the supporting plate 18 together with the surface engaging member 44 on the of the supporting plate 13 thereby forming a fulcrum similar to the fulcrum point formed by the ball of the foot wherein the jumping shoe simulates the natural action of, a persons foot.

In practical operation, the spiral spring 52 permits movement of the supporting plate toward the base plate 18 with no interference from the coils of the spring 52 coming into contact with each other when compressed.

It will be readily seen that the spring 52 will be compressed when the weight of the wearer is suddenly placed thereupon and will assist and aid the wearer in jumping due to the action of the spring SZ -urging the supporting'plate 20 away from the-base plate 18 which is lstationarily positioned on the ground until the supporting plate 20 reaches the outermost point of its movement.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the'inv ention to the exact construction shown and described,

and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A jumping shoe for attachment'to the shoe of a wearer comprising a ground engaging base plate, a sup porting plate in vertically spaced parallel relation to said base plate, means for detachably securing the supporting plate to the shoe of the wearer, a spring extending between said plates for permitting movement thereof, and guide means extending between said plates, said base plate terminating rearwardly of the forward end of said supporting plate thereby permitting the jumping shoe to tilt forwardly about a fulcrum at a point spacedrearwardly from the front of the supporting plate, said guide means including a pair of rigid side plates secured to the base plate for extending along each side of the supporting plate, and a pair of guide rollers on each side ofthe supporting plate for engaging opposite edges of each side plate, each of said rollers including a peripheral groove for receiving the edge of the side plate.

A jumping shoe .for attachment to the shoe of a wearer comprising a ground engaging base plate, a supporting plate in vertically spaced parallel relation to said 7 base plate, means for detachably securing the supporting plate to the shoe of the wearer, a spring extending beween said plates for permitting movement thereof, and guide means extending between said plates, said base plate terminating rearwardly of the forward end of said supporting plate thereby permitting the jumping shoe to. tilt forwardly about a fulcrum at a point' spaced rearwardlyifrom the front of the supporting plate, said guide means including a pair of rigid side plates secured to the base'plate for extending along each side of the supporting plate, and a pair of guide rollers on .each side of the supporting plate for engaging opposite edges of I each side plate, each of said rollers including a peripheral. groove for receiving the edge of the side plate, said spring including a coil compression spring disposed between said side plates, and limit means projecting inwardly from the upper edges of said side plates for engaging the upper surface of the supporting plate and limiting the upward movement thereof. 7 a

3. A jumping shoe for attachment to the shoe of a wearer comprising a ground engaging base plate, a supporting plate in vertically spaced parallel relation to said 7 base plate, means for detachably securing the supporting plate to the shoe of the wearer, a spring extending between said plates for permitting movement thereof, and guide means extending between said plates, said base plate terminating rearwardly of the forward end of said supporting plate thereby permitting the jumping shoe to tilt forwardly about a fulcrum'at a point spaced"rearwardly from the front of the supporting plate, said guide means including a pair of rigid side plates secured to the base plate for extending along eachiside of the supporting plate, and a pair of guide rollers on each side of the supporting plate for engaging opposite edges of each side plate, each of said rollers including a peripheral groove for receiving the edge of the side plate, said spring including a coil. compression spring disposed between said side plates, and limit means projecting. inwardlyfrom the upper edges of said side plates for engaging the upper surface of the supporting plate and limiting the upward movement thereof, said limit means including resilient snubbers for cushioning the action of said compression spring.

4. A jumping attachment for shoes comprising a ground engaging base plate, a supporting plate in vertically spaced relation to said base plate for underlying and engaging a wearers shoe, means detachably securing the supporting plate to a shoe, spring means extending between said plates, a pair of side plates extending upwardly from said base plate and terminating above said supporting plate, means extending inwardly from the side plates adjacent the upper end thereof in overlying relation to the supporting plate for limiting the upward move ment of the supporting plate, and means on said supporting plate for engaging the forward and rear edges of the side plates for guiding the vertical movement of the supporting plate and limiting the relative pivotal V movement between said plates, said base plate terminating rearwardly of the forward end of the supporting plate for permitting tilting movement of the baseplate about a fulcrum point spaced rearwardly of the front end' of the supporting plate.

5. A jumping shoe for'attachment to'the shoe of a wearer comprising a base plate, a supporting plate vertically spaced from said base plate, means for detachably securing the supporting plate to the shoe of the wearer,

7 between, said spring means including a coil compression spring disposed between said side plates, and limit means projecting inwardly from the upper edges of said side plates for engaging the upper surface of the supporting plate and limiting the upward movement thereof, and a pair of grooved guide rollers on each side of said supporting plate for engaging the side edges of the side plates thereby guiding the relative movement between the supporting plate and the base plate.

Feazell Nov. 26, 1907 Brant Feb. 24, 1920 6 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Aug. 7, 1926 Germany July 30, 1927 Germany Nov. 15, 1927 France July 28, 1922 

